Anniversary Challenge ficlet!
Title: Memoirs of a Black Ranger - When two become three.
Week: 2
Prompt: "Soon their duet will become a trio"
Verse: G1
Rating: PG-13
Words: 730
Warnings: Sparklings, OCs.
Summary: Life as seen through the optics of an Enforcer in the 'black ranger' division. Two will soon become three.
Notes: For the Prowl x Jazz Anniversary challenge @ prowlxjazz. Happy Anniversary to all in the pxj community, here's to many more to come.
Thanks to nkfloofiepoof for beta reading for me.
Many had called him insane, arguing that what he wanted to do was far from ideal and possibly unethical as well. What kind of mech would consider this option to cure his loneliness? But Screen Divider was well known for being quite removed from the traditional expectations of an enforcer.
The first one had been a conscious decision; he had gone through all the tests and tribulations that every mech put before him just so he could hold the protoform of his first child in his hands.
He called him Smokescreen as a combination of his and his lost partner’s designations. That would be the offspring they couldn’t have together as his lover’s spark was extinguished prematurely. Smokescreen turned out to be everything he ever wanted and everything he ever needed. He took heavily from Screen Divider’s personality, and he was a helpful little mechling who learned very quickly that he was not part of a typical unit.
Screen Divider could not take Smokescreen with him to his workplace, but neighbors and care centers became familiar playgrounds for the young spark. They were happy together, though, spending what time together they had and learning along the way how to be a family.
Then came the unexpected. Somehow, Screen Divider found himself with another spark to his
name, and Smokescreen had become an older brother.
The event shook the foundation of the lives they had settled into, and suddenly, Screen Divider’s free time was spent on the new sparkling, leaving Smokescreen quite unhappy with the situation. More than once, Screen Divider would have to pick out his newly sparked child from a crate ready to be shipped to a moon or perhaps another planet altogether.
Smokescreen did not like Prowl at all, not because he disliked the infant himself but because of what he represented: competition for their sire’s affection. To this cycle, Screen Divider still didn’t know what powerful entity was watching over Prowl to keep him from being shipped out at countless opportunities.
They argued and bickered constantly -or rather, Smokescreen argued and bickered, and Prowl, who had grown to have a drier personality, usually delivered a counter argument that shut Smokescreen up dry. Yet, whenever one or the other was in distress, the other sibling would be ready to defend the wronged brother. At the end of every cycle, Smokescreen always made sure Prowl was recharging in his berth and was well, and if Screen Divider ever caught the youngster’s actions, Smokescreen swiftly informed his sire that he was merely making sure no one else but he got to bother Prowl.
Screen Divider was happy and proud of the mechlings his children were becoming despite their sibling rivalry. Still, he felt they were missing something in their lives, something that would bring them full circle and make them whole. Smokescreen and Prowl had each other, but their very different personalities didn’t allow them to be as close as they could be. They needed something to bring them closer through a common goal. With that in mind, and in a matter of kliks, their duo was set to become a trio.
“Prowl, Smokescreen…” Screen Divider smiled to his children as he guided the pair of sparklings to the lab room where a new life had just begun. “I have a surprise for you both,” he said as the doors slid open and the pair of Praxian children were greeted by a mech holding a bundle in his arms.
“You chose his name pretty well, Screen Divider; he is a chatty little mess of parts.” The medic knelt down to the sparklings’ level and allowed the children to see the silver sparkling resting in his arms. “Say hello to your new brother young gentlemechs.”
Screen Divider smiled and stroked his sons’ helms. “Smokescreen, Prowl…this is your little brother, Bluestreak.”
Bluestreak warbled and chirped happily, looking up at the two faces very similar to his own. Prowl and Smokescreen exchanged glances, and after a brief, knowing smile, they proceeded to shower their little brother with attention and affection.
Screen Divider knew now that he’d made the right decision. Sure, it would be hard to raise three mechlings on his own and would mean quite a few challenges were ahead of them, but as long as it brought his sons together as a family, it would all be worth it.
Week: 2
Prompt: "Soon their duet will become a trio"
Verse: G1
Rating: PG-13
Words: 730
Warnings: Sparklings, OCs.
Summary: Life as seen through the optics of an Enforcer in the 'black ranger' division. Two will soon become three.
Notes: For the Prowl x Jazz Anniversary challenge @ prowlxjazz. Happy Anniversary to all in the pxj community, here's to many more to come.
Thanks to nkfloofiepoof for beta reading for me.
Many had called him insane, arguing that what he wanted to do was far from ideal and possibly unethical as well. What kind of mech would consider this option to cure his loneliness? But Screen Divider was well known for being quite removed from the traditional expectations of an enforcer.
The first one had been a conscious decision; he had gone through all the tests and tribulations that every mech put before him just so he could hold the protoform of his first child in his hands.
He called him Smokescreen as a combination of his and his lost partner’s designations. That would be the offspring they couldn’t have together as his lover’s spark was extinguished prematurely. Smokescreen turned out to be everything he ever wanted and everything he ever needed. He took heavily from Screen Divider’s personality, and he was a helpful little mechling who learned very quickly that he was not part of a typical unit.
Screen Divider could not take Smokescreen with him to his workplace, but neighbors and care centers became familiar playgrounds for the young spark. They were happy together, though, spending what time together they had and learning along the way how to be a family.
Then came the unexpected. Somehow, Screen Divider found himself with another spark to his
name, and Smokescreen had become an older brother.
The event shook the foundation of the lives they had settled into, and suddenly, Screen Divider’s free time was spent on the new sparkling, leaving Smokescreen quite unhappy with the situation. More than once, Screen Divider would have to pick out his newly sparked child from a crate ready to be shipped to a moon or perhaps another planet altogether.
Smokescreen did not like Prowl at all, not because he disliked the infant himself but because of what he represented: competition for their sire’s affection. To this cycle, Screen Divider still didn’t know what powerful entity was watching over Prowl to keep him from being shipped out at countless opportunities.
They argued and bickered constantly -or rather, Smokescreen argued and bickered, and Prowl, who had grown to have a drier personality, usually delivered a counter argument that shut Smokescreen up dry. Yet, whenever one or the other was in distress, the other sibling would be ready to defend the wronged brother. At the end of every cycle, Smokescreen always made sure Prowl was recharging in his berth and was well, and if Screen Divider ever caught the youngster’s actions, Smokescreen swiftly informed his sire that he was merely making sure no one else but he got to bother Prowl.
Screen Divider was happy and proud of the mechlings his children were becoming despite their sibling rivalry. Still, he felt they were missing something in their lives, something that would bring them full circle and make them whole. Smokescreen and Prowl had each other, but their very different personalities didn’t allow them to be as close as they could be. They needed something to bring them closer through a common goal. With that in mind, and in a matter of kliks, their duo was set to become a trio.
“Prowl, Smokescreen…” Screen Divider smiled to his children as he guided the pair of sparklings to the lab room where a new life had just begun. “I have a surprise for you both,” he said as the doors slid open and the pair of Praxian children were greeted by a mech holding a bundle in his arms.
“You chose his name pretty well, Screen Divider; he is a chatty little mess of parts.” The medic knelt down to the sparklings’ level and allowed the children to see the silver sparkling resting in his arms. “Say hello to your new brother young gentlemechs.”
Screen Divider smiled and stroked his sons’ helms. “Smokescreen, Prowl…this is your little brother, Bluestreak.”
Bluestreak warbled and chirped happily, looking up at the two faces very similar to his own. Prowl and Smokescreen exchanged glances, and after a brief, knowing smile, they proceeded to shower their little brother with attention and affection.
Screen Divider knew now that he’d made the right decision. Sure, it would be hard to raise three mechlings on his own and would mean quite a few challenges were ahead of them, but as long as it brought his sons together as a family, it would all be worth it.